What We Need
by TerraZeal
Summary: Sequel to Espers, Time Travelers, and Aliens, but NOT graphic. Kyon, Mikuru, Haruhi, and Tsuruya find themselves in some sort of alternate universe after fleeing Itsuki and Yuki's "game". Haruhi finally wakes up. An old enemy tries to prove she was only trying to help. Kyon finally starts believing that he could possibly be the god they're telling him he is. AU. Kyonism.
1. Chapter 1

_**AN: **This is another Haruhi Suzumiya AU with Kyon as God instead, but he still doesn't know. Same universe and shortly after Mikuru's death (read: Espers, Time-Travelers, and Aliens) Kyon discovers something very surprising about time travelers in general and Miss Tsuruya's secret that she'd managed to keep from even Nagato. Dr. Who references. NOT told in first person, even though Kyon is the main character here, because Haruhi also has her own thoughts I'd like to write out. Kyon/Haruhi (my OTP, NOT slash, shockingly). **Remember, this is AU! Don't like it, don't read it.**_ _It DOES take place in the book universe, same school, same people, same powers. Tsuruya spec._

_**What We Need**_

Kyon yawned and stretched as he strolled to school, his eternally bored expression still on his face. Things had been far too quiet lately. Why wasn't Haruhi doing anything? Why was she so content?

"KYON!" A very familiar, delighted voice yanked his arm painfully, almost pulling it out of the socket.

"Haruhi! You know there are other ways of greeting people! You don't have to pull my arm off every time!"

His voice expressed irritation, but his thoughts said otherwise. He loved it. As much as he hated to admit it. He loved it. He loved...the excitement. The thought of what this unpredictable girl might do next. He loved...try as he might, his brain just couldn't form the words right now. Somehow, it didn't seem right. He didn't know if...if she felt the same way. Felt what he refused to put into words. Far different than the pure lust he felt at the sight of Mikuru. Lust was all it was. Lust and friendship.

Haruhi's arm hung loosely off of his, feeling so natural, so perfect. The same warmth he'd always experienced when this beautiful, unpredictable...goddess...touched him. No matter what the others called her, to him, she was his goddess, but not in the way Koizumi thought of her. Not as a deity. Just...someone he would give anything to have around forever. His hand drifted unconsciously toward Haruhi's.

Haruhi jumped as she felt soft, warm fingers lace with her own. Her heart was pounding, as it always did with Kyon near her. She loved him. God, she loved him. She wanted to be with him forever. She should have kept up appearances and smacked him for DARING to hold her hand, but, for the moment, she enjoyed the feeling of his hand gripping hers.

She felt safe, comfortable. Like nothing in the world could hurt her or make her feel sad or lonely when Kyon was around. No one at school, not even the other Brigade members, treated her like a true friend. Only Kyon did. Even when she...treated him badly. He didn't deserve the way she treated him, but she couldn't play favorites.

A true leader has no favorites. And Kyon...since he was her best friend, her...what she wanted him to be, anyway...her beloved...he accepted her treatment. She didn't know if he felt anything toward her except friendship and perhaps obligation for making his boring life more fun.

_I mean really! What was he doing without me? That Sasaki! She's not as exciting as I am. She could never be what I can for Kyon. _Haruhi unintentionally made a huffing noise and put her nose in the air. She felt the warm hand quickly release hers. Kyon was giving her an odd look, as if expecting to be slapped or yelled at. That wasn't why she was mad! Why did he take his hand out of hers? She liked it...wanted it...Tears threatened her dark eyes. She turned from Kyon.

"S-sorry, Haruhi, I just...I guess. Nevermind. Let's just go to school." He hunched his back, replace his pack which had slid a few inches down his shoulders, and continued into the school, not looking back at Haruhi.

She was alone now. She could cry. She wanted to. She wanted to scream. He had turned her down. Hadn't he? He left her alone rather than walk hand in hand into school together. Or even walk next to each other. She noticed other students running quickly toward the school and hid behind a nearby bench. A tear finally escaped, followed by the wracking sobs that she'd so desperately been wanting to release every time Kyon rejected her, or made her feel like Sasaki was superior in some way.

_A leader doesn't cry! What would Kyon think if he saw you like this? Weak! Unworthy! Not worth being Brigade Leader! Stop crying, you idiot! _Haruhi mentally slapped herself, dried her tears on her SOS Bridgade armband, which she kept in her pack when she wasn't in the clubroom, and finally headed into school, head held high, the same menacing expression on her face as always.

Kyon's hand was tingling. Haruhi's fingers. So soft, so perfectly formed. A goddess. More beautiful than Asahina, perfect in every way. But she didn't like it. She had pulled away, looked angry. So she didn't really feel anything for him...but, hadn't she let him do it for a little bit? She hadn't smacked him, had she? Kyon relaxed as Haruhi sat down behind him, her face once again aglow with excitement.

She prodded him in the back with a pencil. "Kyon! SOS Brigade club room after school. A party! This time, you have to show up last, okay?"

Kyon's brow wrinkled. "Look, this is just an excuse for you to give me yet another of your lame 'punishments'...besides, today's just another day. Nothing special about it."

Haruhi gasped. "Kyon! That...that isn't true! Just...show up, okay? If you don't, punishment!" She jabbed him even harder in the back. Her face looked odd. Sad again, as if Kyon had forgotten something important he should remember. It wasn't her birthday. He knew when that was. She never let anyone dare forget.

"Fine. I'll be at your stupid, useless party for no reason." He sighed, rolled his eyes, and tried to focus on the lesson, which was, as always, boring. He ended up drifting off, only waking up when Haruhi shook him.

"Kyon! You'll sleep through lunch! We're just gonna eat in the cafeteria, okay? Not the club room this time. Itsuki, Yuki, and Mikuru should be getting everything just right...come on!" She grabbed his hand without thinking and pulled him along, to the cafeteria.

Kyon groaned. The lunchtime battle was in full swing. People fighting over the best stuff. His mouth watered at the thought of one of those delicious pork cutlet sandwiches. Haruhi had shoved her way forcibly through the crowd and came back, thrusting a tray into Kyon's hands. To his shock and delight, it contained the coveted pork cutlet, an apple, and a can of his favorite juice.

He wondered when he had told Haruhi any of this. Surprisingly, her own tray contained the same, except it held cola rather than juice. Kyon almost grinned. She had to keep up her sugar, he guessed. She seemed to be on permanent sugar-rush. She tugged him through the crowd before finding a suitable table. They sat.

"Kyon..."

"Haruhi..."

Both spoke at the same time. Kyon cleared his throat. "Ladies first. What is it now?" He tried to force a little bit of his usual annoyance into his voice.

"Uhm...I just...I wanted to...you know what? Shut up! Never mind! It isn't any of YOUR business anyway!" Apparently she had changed her mind about saying what she was going to say. "Well? What were YOU going to say? Something stupid, no doubt!"

Kyon laughed. If she wasn't going to talk about this morning, he wouldn't either. "You're right. It was something stupid."

Haruhi crossed her arms, glared at him, "Then don't bother saying it! Just eat so we can get out of here! All these people are bothering me! They're just idiots like you!" She practically had steam coming out of her ears. Kyon almost smiled again, but remembered the way he should act around her, normally.

"Say what you like. It's always the same stuff. I'm used to it by now."

He bit into his delectable pork cutlet sandwich, finishing it off in record time, along with over half the juice. Thank goodness Haruhi had gotten him an apple. Apples were juicy enough on their own. Didn't need to wash them down with anything. He peeled it, carefully sliced it, noticed Haruhi was watching him with a dark glare on her face.

"Why do you pay so much attention to that boring old apple? It's just a normal apple. There are tons of them out there. Just like girls. They're all the same. BORING! Useless. Even Mikuru. She's just a doll! I'm-" She got that same look on her face, stood up, ran from the cafeteria, leaving her tray untouched.

Kyon could have sworn he'd heard a sob. He almost laughed. Haruhi would NEVER cry. Never in a million years. He shook his head, bewildered, and decided to eat her lunch.

Haruhi was running through the halls, to the club room, wiping away her tears. She stopped at a bathroom on the way to make sure it wasn't obvious she'd been crying, assumed her usual expression, and ran into the classroom with zeal.

"SURPRISE! Your leader has-" She stopped, looked around. "Eh? Yuki? Koizumi? Where's Mikuru? She's supposed to be helping you two! Has she skipped out? I'll punish her if she has! I'll-"

"Hush, Miss Suzumiya. Miss Asahina has simply transferred, just like that. She left a note for you. It was too short notice to tell anyone in person. Yuki and I simply met her on her way out last night, that's all."

Koizumi's annoying fake smile was pissing her off today. She wanted to slap him silly, but she took the note he was holding out to her.

She scanned it, it did LOOK like Mikuru's hand writing, complete with adorable hearts and sickening flowers. She wanted to gag! Still...now the Brigade had lost it's moe character! Far less chance of anything strange ever happening. Well, maybe Tsuruya would know where Mikuru had gone. Apparently, just like that strange Asakura girl, she hadn't left an address. But Tsuruya was her best friend. She would know where Mikuru had gone...

Haruhi put that in the back of her mind. This was more important. At least for her, it was. The party decorations were going well. She glanced around the room. Sparkles and streamers adorned the room, just the way she had planned. She scanned the club room table, taking in Koizumi's sneer and Yuki's dull expression. She staggered back, almost tripping on a streamer when her eyes fell on what was sitting next to Yuki.

A very, very lifelike...what...doll? Mannequin? Of Mikuru. It looked just like her, except for the eyes. They were blank, black holes of emptiness. She was wearing a maid outfit and looked just like she had last night. "What...what the HELL is that THING!?" She pointed at the...the...doll.

"Ah! Yes! I see you noticed our 'special' project. See, since Mikuru couldn't be here for real, Yuki made a...what did she call it? Organic duplicate, that's right! Her skin is real, her hair is real, the only thing we couldn't make is the eyes. They do say the eyes are the windows to the soul..."

Haruhi relaxed a bit. "Hmph. Then YOU have no soul at all, since your eyes are closed all the time. And Yuki's soul is probably so dull and emotionless that it might as well not exist! At least shove streamers or something into her empty eyes. They're CREEPY you idiots! This is supposed to be FUN, and PERFECT! Not some freakshow!" She whirled on her heel and headed back to class.

Koizumi turned his fake smile on Yuki, once Haruhi had gone. "There is no way they can tell? At all?" He almost sounded worried, if it weren't for his cheerful voice.

Nagato looked at him with her dull expression, lips very barely moving. "Not at all. It is a perfect reconstruction of the damage you and your primitive techniques did to the body. It will not smell or fall to decay, as organic life is wont to do, either. You may take it home with you, after this pointless party."

She kept reading her book, which Koizumi noticed was a book on human anatomy. He had a slightly less advanced copy. She turned a page, dark eyes never leaving the pictures of internal organs and ways of slicing into them without killing the patient. She learned so fast. Koizumi envied her. He smiled wider than normal and wondered what information the Data Overmind and the Organization would ask for next.

He loved his part-time job. Nagato had no feelings whatsoever as to the orders given by her Data Overmind. Her faked 'developing feelings' was all for Kyon's sake. It was always best to have God on your side. He laughed.

Nagato was used to his psychotic laughter and didn't even look away from her book. The only feeling she had toward Kyon, the so-called God/potential for evolution, was hate. Hatred because he made her endure nearly six centuries of the same events because he was terrible at academics. The hatred of a near-omnipotent being was nothing to sneeze at. Had Kyon not been the...thing...he was, Nagato would have already killed him.

Kyon was such a worthy specimen. The Organization longed to get their hands on the cells of their deity's body. The world wouldn't 'vanish'. That was a lie told to Kyon to keep him from doing something stupid. Who ever controlled the divine cells, or as Nagato put it, the potential for evolution, controlled the universe.

The Organization wanted that. Koizumi planned to get it at any cost. So did the Data Overmind and Nagato, which was why she hadn't been allowed to let Asakura outright kill him without harvesting organs or cells. The Data Overmind could use much less material than the Organization needed, which is why they were in cooperation.

Kyon boredly tapped his pencil on his desk, waiting for the final bell. He loathed school. He was terrible at it. It didn't help that Haruhi had been glaring angrily at his back awhile ago. A far different Haruhi than the one who had gently held his hand and smiled earlier that morning.

The young man laughed to himself. He honestly had no clue which Haruhi he liked most. Her stubborn, unpredictable self or her smiling, happy, self. No, he did know. He liked them both. Always. It didn't matter what type of mood she was in. He glanced away from the problems he was supposed to be copying to look at her. She was sleeping, as per usual, having long since finished her work.

A bit of drool slid down her chin. She looked so calm, so peaceful, so...cute...when asleep. Kyon impulsively reached out and wiped away the drool with the end of his finger. He couldn't resist and ran his fingertips gently over her soft, so soft, lips. _My goddess. Haruhi Suzumiya. _Haruhi jumped, almost tipped her desk over, and looked around for whatever it was that had dared touch her. She glared when she noticed Kyon looking at her.

"Stop staring, you dork! I just got attacked by a bug or some pervert! You didn't see what was on my lips, did you? Answer me, moron!" She was standing, yelling. Kyon was laughing on the inside.

"It was a bug, Haruhi. Sit down. Just five more minutes until the bell. Then you can show me whatever you have in the club room. Since you think it's such a huge deal." He leaned back on his desk, just ignoring the work he was supposed to finish, and closed his eyes, waiting for the bell.

Haruhi rubbed at her lips, licking them. They felt warm, tasted so sweet. A wave of irritation swept over her. Had the damn bug shit on her mouth? Some bug shit tasted sweet! Ugh! The thought! And Kyon had done nothing! That idiot!

That_...that man. Why does he do this to me? Why...why couldn't it be HIS touch...his taste...on my lips. I remember that dream where he kissed me. It was...wonderful. More wonderful than anything I've felt in my life. He tasted sweeter than strawberries, felt softer and warmer than the brush of summer wind. Oh, Kyon. What is wrong with me? Why can't you just see how I feel?_

Maybe he would feel something after she showed him the brigade room. Or maybe he would be upset. He had always...always had a crush on Mikuru, but now she had moved, and...maybe Haruhi had a chance. She sighed in relief when the final bell finally rang. She grabbed her bag, and Kyon, and raced out of the room.

"Let go of me, you psycho!" Kyon was yelling again. Strangely, she let go, but not without first giving him a look of such superiority that he was surprised her nose wasn't in the clouds.

"Then stop wasting time and get your butt to the club room!" She pulled him again, making totally sure he followed.

Kyon eventually gave up and let her drag him, trying very hard not to enjoyment the feel of her hand grasping his so tightly.

"Okay, Kyon! We're here!" She opened her mouth wide and flung open the door. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Kyon blinked, totally dumbfounded. He had totally forgot today was his birthday, and he hadn't even bothered telling anyone when it was. Haruhi, bless her, had somehow found out and put together this party. A smile worked it's way onto his normally stoic face. Itsuki was smiling brightly and Nagato had the same serene expression as always, Asahina was...Kyon almost threw up.

He swallowed the vomit when he realized it was just a doll. Someone had shoved a ball of sparkly streamers into the Mikuru-doll's eyes, making her look like some twisted party decoration. She looked so real. And Kyon had felt dizzy when he'd first seen the doll. Something about it was...sickening. He didn't like this doll, even if he normally wouldn't have turned down a realistic doll of Asahina.

Kyon turned to Haruhi is astonishment. "You...threw me a birthday party? I didn't even know today was my birthday. No one even bothers with mine anymore..." He trailed off as he was suddenly grabbed harshly, yanked down, and felt those wonderful lips on his for only the second time. Bliss...heavenly bliss.

Haruhi couldn't help herself she had taken advantage of Kyon's stunned expression and pulled him into a kiss. He tasted as sweet as the Kyon in the dream had. As warm and safe as she imaged him. She felt his arms wrap around her in a tight embrace, lifting her off the ground.

She eagerly reciprocated and wrapped her legs around him. Haruhi couldn't hear much behind the pounding of her heart and blood rushing in her ears, but she did hear a delighted cheer from Itsuki and a muttered "...finally" from Nagato. She didn't care what they thought. As far as she was concerned, she and Kyon were the only ones in the entire world. She felt his hand move lower, squeezing her bottom lightly, as if he were afraid. _I'm not. I'm not. I love you, Kyon. Touch me more. Love me. _Their passionate embrace was finally interrupted by Koizumi coughing an irritating "Ahem."

Kyon gasped, reluctantly pulling away from Haruhi. He hadn't wanted it to end. He found himself blushing furiously. His face was likely as red as Haruhi's armband.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know what-I just..." Kyon stammered.

Koizumi smiled at him (maybe, since a smile happened to be his default expression). "It's alright. We didn't see anything, right Nagato?"

"Confirmed." She started typing again on the computer, although she was wearing her birthday hat, which looked out of place on the dull-faced alien.

Haruhi was out of breath, embarrassed, and angry. Angry that Kyon had stopped...angry that the others had been there... "I could lie and just say that was Kyon's birthday present from me, but I'm tired of just waiting around while all these others try to...to...be with MY Kyon!"

She glared angrily at the room, particularly at Itsuki and the Mikuru doll, both of whom had hit on Kyon at least once. She didn't know that Mikuru had never done so and that it was an accident, but it didn't matter. Kyon was HERS. Now everyone knew, but...that meant she had to treat him different, right? She couldn't just treat HER Kyon like a normal Brigade member. Things would be different. Wasn't that what she wanted, though? New, different, unusual things? Feeling this way around a boy, kissing him, feeling his touch...that was unusual. Different. Good different.

Maybe she should take his long-ago suggestion. Just turn the SOS Brigade into a club that does various activities. She'd certainly have more members to lord over. Kyon would never help her be a leader. He wasn't. He was...always had been...HER follower. He did what she wanted. She thought it was because he was just bored or a doormat, but now she knew he did it because he liked it. Liked being around her. Warmth crept up her face again. She realized she was clinging to Kyon's arm and let go, flushing even more.

A bang like a gunshot went off as the door, which Haruhi and Kyon had closed in their passionate embrace, slammed into the wall. Haruhi screamed and grabbed Kyon, which was out of character for her, but since he was now...what...her boyfriend? She assumed it was okay. Heart pounding, she looked up to see an absolutely furious Tsuruya, her odd, tiny fangs seemed longer, sharper, than usual, and the expression on her face scared even Haruhi. She glanced at Kyon before turning to Tsuruya, trying to calm her slamming heart.

Tsuruya let loose a furious, feral growl. "Where is she? Where is my best friend? I promised her I would never let anything happen to her! Now she's gone! I haven't seen her since last night. I know, I just know, somehow, that YOU assholes had something to do with it! Where is she?"

Kyon sighed. "What are you mad about now, Miss Tsuruya? Did Haruhi make Mikuru wear something inappropriate again?" He squeezed Haruhi's arm so tightly it almost hurt.

"I didn't! I haven't seen Mikuru since early yesterday! I swear, Tsuruya! Kyon, you're hurting me, dork!"

She noticed he didn't let go, just loosened his grip. She almost smiled, if it weren't for the feral-looking Tsuruya standing in the doorway. She noticed the door handle was bent and the wood had cracks in, like what happens when something very heavy and durable is hit with massive force. What the HELL was with Tsuruya? How did she get so strong? Hmm. Haruhi assumed she just worked out a lot.

Tsuruya lunged forward, moving faster than anyone imagined possible, and grabbed Kyon by the front of his shirt. So strong was her grip that Kyon slipped easily out of Haruhi's tightened grasp. "You! You're the one who seems to always know what's going on! You're coming with me right now!"

She almost absentmindedly picked up Kyon and threw him over her shoulder before leaving the room and slamming the door behind her.

"Nooo! Kyon! Don't! You let her go you bitch!" Haruhi tried the door handle, but apparently the damage Tsuruya had done had made it unable to be opened normally. She launched a hard kick at the door. She worked out. She was strong. Her foot connected, and pain shot through her body as she slid to the floor, whimpering.

"No. My ankle...I think it's broken...Koizumi! Get over here right now and help me! Help me get the door open! We need to get Kyon back from that hussy!" Koizumi stood, walked over to her, and helped her stand.

"Miss Suzumiya...come, won't you have a seat? Tsuruya won't hurt Kyon. She's not some monster! You have us. We're you're friends. We'll try and do something about your ankle. Maybe find a way to make the pain stop." His calm, friendly voice was like an elixir.

Haruhi felt herself calming down. Perhaps Tsuruya wouldn't hurt him. Maybe she just liked to yell. Haruhi almost laughed. Like herself. But if Tsuruya thought she was taking Kyon, she had another thing coming! Haruhi would kick her to the moon! She allowed Koizumi to lead her to a nearby chair. She glanced up and realized she was sitting directly across from the creepy-ass Mikuru doll. She just sighed and looked away angrily.

Yuki pushed a cup of water toward her. Haruhi grabbed the cup and guzzled it down. "Ahh! That hit the spot! Thanks, Yuki!"

Something like a faint smile almost cross her face. "You are welcome. You will take a nap now."

"Wha?" Haruhi felt dizzy, she tried to stand, felt over her chair, landing facedown on the floor of the clubroom. Her vision faded from hazy to black as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, Kyon had been thrust into an empty classroom by the savage-looking green-haired girl that had been carrying him at top speed. He noticed he was in a low-level classroom. In mere seconds, this girl had somehow got from the top floor to the bottom without Kyon even noticing. She had been moving so fast that he had kept his eyes closed. He sighed with relief when Tsuruya finally pushed him down into a chair.

"What the hell was that, Miss Tsuruya!? I mean, really, do you have some kind of special powers or something like the others?" Kyon blurted this out without really thinking, or noticing another person standing in the shadows of the dark classroom. It was too tall to be Tsuruya or Mikuru.

Tsuruya smiled, those long, delicately sharp fangs glinting in the dull light. Her eyes glinted like an animal's, lit up by the single bulb in the center of the room.

"It sure took you long enough...maybe you wondered why I didn't come to you, the way the others did. I know what they all told you. I read your mind when we were coming down here. They all think that Suzumiya is a goddess. At least, that's what they told you, isn't it?"

Kyon blinked, astounded. "You...you're a psychic? Some kind of uber-Esper?" He was staring at the girl, open-mouthed in shock.

"Not even close. You really think aliens, time-travelers, and espers are the ONLY supernatural things out there? Haruhi never wished for my kind. We've ALWAYS existed. How do you think I have that huge mansion? It's been mine for hundreds of years! Well,the land has anyway!" Tsuruya smiled again.

"Regardless, that isn't important. What IS important is what you did to Mikuru." Her voice was fierce again, no longer in exposition mode.

"Tsuruya! Whatever you are, read my mind again! Read it. I didn't TOUCH her! Why didn't you pick up on that?" Kyon glared at her.

Tsuruya's mouth was hanging open, those dangerous looking fangs sparkling like diamonds when the light hit them. Apparently she hadn't thought of this. She stared him in the eyes. Kyon did not move, but stared back. Their eyes locked. Kyon felt soft prickles in the back of his head. Tsuruya the psychic or whatever was definitely rummaging around in there.

"I...I see. I'm so sorry. I didn't...well, SHE told me that the SOS Brigade..." Tsuruya trailed off in confusion and glanced at the shadowy figure in the corner.

The shadowy figure finally stepped into the light. "Long time, Kyon." Her soft voice almost sounded familiar, but there was a lilt to it that wasn't there before. Kyon stared at the tall woman. She had long, butt-length red hair, the color of cherries, ample breasts, delicate features, and happened to be wearing a black zipper shirt and tight white pants.

She almost looked like Adult Asahina, but the differences were too much for her to be the same. Perhaps she was a sibling, like that Fujiwara who Koizumi had killed. She smiled at Kyon, her plump pink lips looking even more inviting than Asahina's had.

"Who the hell are you? Are you another psycho sibling of Asahina's like that Fujiwara?" He kept up his guard, breathing hard.

"I am Mikuru Asahina. Where is Haruhi?" Her lilting voice sounded concerned.

Kyon laughed. "You aren't Mikuru! I know what Adult Asahina looks like, and you aren't her. Haruhi is back in the club room, with Koizumi and Nagato. She's fine. Why do you care anyway?"

The self-proclaimed Adult Asahina closed her eyes and shook her head. "You have to get back. Now. You don't know...you don't...go, Kyon. I will talk to you later. Save her. Save your Haruhi. Without you, she'll be dead or worse before long."

"What are you talking about? She's a goddess, a time warp, an evolutionary potential, whatever. She can handle herself, besides, even if something bad happened in the club room, Nagato and Koizumi could handle it." Kyon scoffed.

"No, Kyon. Haruhi is NOT the one with that power, whatever that power actually is. Go, Kyon! If you don't save her, the world will rewrite itself! Please!" Tears were streaking her face. "Proof, Kyon. Proof." She unzipped the shirt down to the top of her breasts and leaned over.

Kyon stifled a gasp. The star shaped mole. It couldn't be coincidence that one of her sisters could have the exact mark. He looked up at her, fear slowly creeping across his features. "Mikuru. How...? What...?"

"There isn't time, Kyon! You need to go save Haruhi. You'll be able to open the door, don't worry about that. The short version is that I died, here in the past. Myself that was here died and regenerated into myself, Mikuru Asahina still, but not quite the same. They can destroy our bodies, our hearts, but so long as we still have our TPDD on us, even if it is broken, we can regenerate. We'll never look the same as we did before we died, or even have exactly the same personality, but we will have the same memories. And I remember you, Kyon! I remember Miss Suzumiya. I never liked her much, but...you love her. As I said, if you don't save her, the world will either rewrite itself or cease to exist!"

The regenerated Asahina was pleading with him. Her eyes were the same. Caramel with a touch of dark chocolate. Kyon nodded, still confused, but turned and ran from the room. Tsuruya was following him.

"You're too slow, Kyon! If Miss Asahina says it's important, then it is! Allow me!" She easily flung him over her shoulder and sped up the steps and down the hall, her odd green hair dancing about her like streamers. They came to the club room door, and she put Kyon down.

"You heard Miss Asahina. Only you can open the door. Whatever's in there, I'm with you! I'm no weakling, as you know by now!" Tsuruya bared her fangs, a low growl escaping her throat.

Kyon took a deep breath and turned the door handle, revealing what was inside.

**R/R. There WILL be another chapter. Already working on it. This one will stay teen, just get...rather violent, but not descriptive, as it goes on. Before anyone asks, Tsuruya is indeed a vampire.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN:** Little violence in this chapter. More Tsuruya here interaction here. More Dr. Who references, along with Nightside (by author Simon Green) concepts. I obviously own nothing, in this chapter or any other. Slight femmeslash. Tsuruya/Mikuru. Lots o' Kyon/Haruhi het._

**What We Need - Chapter 2**

Kyon's vision blurred as he took in the infuriating, sickening sight before him. Tsuruya screamed in fury behind him. Haruhi was lying on her back on the top of the clubroom table, completely naked, covered in blood. She wasn't dead, just unconscious, as he could tell from the rise and fall of her bloody, yet still beautiful, breasts. The...Mikuru thing...had been shoved in a corner, one bright red streamer still dangling from an eye socket like a some sick symbol of blood and death.

Someone that looked just similar enough to Fujiwara was examining her body with some type of micro-beam, frowning. It was likely the regeneration of Fujiwara, since Elder Mikuru had explained that true time travelers just regenerate after death. He glanced up boredly, sneering at Kyon.

"What do you think of your 'goddess' now? I told you Sasaki was the rightful goddess. YOURS can't even keep herself conscious!" He laughed, a manic, high-pitched sound. That sneer that was an evil echo of Koizumi's own...smiley sneer..was still on his not-quite-familiar face.

"Fujiwara! Shut up! Or I'll MAKE YOU. Do you really want to have to regenerate AGAIN for pissing me off?" This from Koizumi. He still said it all with a disturbing smile plastered on his face.

"I can stop the flow of data within this timespace for Fujiwara if you wish it to be silent for a time." Yuki offered, seemingly unaware that she had called Fujiwara a 'thing'.

"You do that." Koizumi spat. "As soon as you do, we have a problem. This little shit wasn't supposed to walk in here on this. YOU said we had enough time."

"I was incorrect. The appearance of the time traveler Fujiwara caused a data disruption."

"Get rid of him then! I don't care about his help anymore!"

Yuki nodded almost imperceptibly. "Yes." She blinked once and Fujiwara vanished, yet screamed that he would indeed have his revenge and somehow gain control over time or something. Kyon only cared about the bleeding Haruhi on the table.

"What the HELL IS GOING ON HERE!? Stop bickering and TELL ME!" Kyon's rage made his vision red. The room, people, and obviously the blood.

"They're the ones who hurt my Mikuru. I have to kill them, Kyon!" Tsuruya sounded almost insane with anger.

"Tsuruya you aren't near powerful enough to deal with Nagato, no matter what you are." Kyon was more worried about the very, very injured Haruhi. And why Nagato, Koizumi, and a returned Fujiwara would dare harm their precious specimen. Kyon's precious...everything.

Tsuruya howled in rage. "I. Don't. CARE!" She lunged for Itsuki, her speed allowed her to connect with him before he could react and raise his Esper powers against her. Those sharp fangs ripped into his neck, like some type of vampire would have. Koizumi was apparently trying to use his psychic powers against her, but Tsuruya had her own and they seemed evenly matched for the moment. Nagato, oddly, was doing nothing.

Kyon ran to the table, very gently picked up the blood-covered body of Haruhi and held her as close to him as he could manage without making her bleed more. He gave Nagato a furious glare.

"I will find out what you two are doing. And I will make you hurt. You hurt the only person I've ever loved, and you killed the original, innocent Miss Asahina." The cold, quiet rage in his voice almost seemed to frighten Nagato. She gave a soft little shiver, before looking at him and nodding.

"Yes. It is over. I informed Koizumi of the dangers of harming Suzumiya. He did not listen. He was insistent. It is over." Yuki's eyes blanked, her back arched suddenly, and her body slumped forward, head knocking over the teacup in front of her.

Itsuki was slowly gaining the upper hand over Tsuruya. Tsuruya's psychic powers were near as powerful as his, and her physical speed and strength could be slowed and lowered by Itsuki's nuclear-level ESP.

"Dammit, Tsuruya! Run! We have to get out of here right now! We need to get as far away from this school as possible!" Kyon tugged at Tsuruya, who miraculously let go of Koizumi and let Kyon pull her.

As soon as they exited the room, they were suddenly somewhere else. The stars were brighter, almost closer. The moon was full, and tinged with red. The air was cool, soft, rustling the plush grass the two were standing on. Where the hell were they? Was this some alternate universe? Had Haruhi, in her badly injured state, taken them literally as far away as possible from Japan?

Kyon shook his head and looked around for something, something sanitary to lay Haruhi down, so she wouldn't get an infection. He wasn't sure if the goddess that she was could get ill, but he didn't dare want to take the chance, not now when they had finally revealed their feelings to each other.

"Here, Kyon! Hurry and lie her down over here!" It was the lilting voice of the new version of Adult Mikuru. Somehow, she was here too. Her cherry-red hair and bee-stung pink lips appeared even redder against the light of the oddly close full moon.

"Mikuru! What are you doing here? How did you get here? WHERE and WHEN is here?"

Mikuru just smiled and continued spreading the bedroll on the soft grass. "We're safe here. I didn't take us here. You did. I can use my watch to get coordinates, but not if this really is an alternate universe."

"Huh? I took us here? I can't do that. I can't do SHIT! I can't even protect the people I love!" Kyon's anger was leading to tears threatening to leak out of his eyes. One tear did manage to sneak out as he carefully placed Haruhi's bloody form on the clean red-tinged bedroll. Her blood almost instantly started soaking it.

"Whatever. Tsuruya, Mikuru...please...can't you...help her? She'll die from blood loss. But...can she? She's some super powerful entity...how did this even happen?" Kyon's fear and frustration was making him want to sob.

Mikuru was examining Haruhi with the same micro-beam thing regenerated Fujiwara had been using. "I can heal her. She will sleep for nearly twenty-four hours, but she will heal."

"She'll still be MY Haruhi, right? Not some, no offense, copy like you, right? Right?"

Mikuru smiled and nodded. "Yes. I can't make someone else into a being like myself. Tsuruya could heal her that way, however..."

Tsuruya cocked her head at Mikuru. "You knew? All this time?"

Mikuru's smile widened. "You're my best friend. How could I not?" Mikuru suddenly pulled Tsuruya into a tight hug.

To Kyon's great shock, Tsuruya was not content with this. She kissed Mikuru full on the lips, passionately, before pulling away, embarrassed.

"I-I'm so sorry Miku-chan. I just...I've always wanted to...but I knew about you, and I knew you couldn't...with anyone. And why would you want to? I'm another girl, and a blood-sucking monster. Why would you-" Mikuru put her finger to Tsuruya's protesting lips and gave her a soft kiss back.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Tsuri. Nothing. For now, let us just...wait. Until we figure everything out. Where we are. How to get out. Haruhi is already healing, so you can calm yourself as well Kyon." Mikuru sat on the grass, beckoning Tsuruya to sit next to her.

Kyon knelt near Haruhi. Even though she was covered by a blanket, he couldn't just leave her naked. He opened his pack, which he had just happened to have been lucky enough to bring with him. He almost laughed at himself when he realized the only thing he had in there was Mikuru's old waitress uniform. Haruhi would just have to make due. Not to mention, Kyon would love to see her in it, moreso than Mikuru.

He carefully folded the dress and laid it near Haruhi so that she could use is as soon as she woke up. He didn't want her to have to run around naked, as much as he would have appreciated it. She wouldn't have. He reached out and softly stroked her unblemished cheek with his fingertip. Her skin was so soft. He leaned down and kissed her, although her lips were caked with dried blood. There were no cuts, just blood from the damage done to her other cheek.

The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth. Still, it was Haruhi's blood, it didn't matter. How could Tsuruya enjoy the taste of blood? She had basically called herself a vampire, after all. Kyon managed to just focus on Haruhi's soft lips on his. It almost brought him to tears to feel her lips lifeless against his, not passionate, hot, full of life as they had been both times they'd kissed for real.

He laid on the grass next to Haruhi and closed his eyes, hoping for sleep to come at last. He heard Tsuruya and Mikuru talking softly. As he managed to push away all sounds put Haruhi's soft breathing, their conversation just behind a gentle background noise. Kyon slowly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Mikuru glanced back at Kyon, sleeping protectively next to his beloved Haruhi, then toward her dearest friend Tsuruya.

"He's asleep. Now I can tell you the truth. You already know about us. About what we told Kyon. Miss Suzumiya isn't powerful, especially not a goddess. She's just a Slider that doesn't know she is one. She has power, but not goddess-level. And she's not in control enough. The one with the true power is Kyon himself. He does not know this of course. I must tell him, especially now, with everything that has happened. If he rewrites the world...then so be it. If such a good-hearted person like Kyon wants to make this world go away, then who's to tell him he's wrong?"

Tsuruya was gaping at Mikuru, her sharp fangs still extended to their full length after such a furious combat situation and tasting the blood of an Esper as powerful as Itsuki.

"Wow. Kyon's a GOD! Or...whatever you think he is. A time warp, right? Some anomaly?" She looked at Mikuru in fascination. This wasn't something she'd heard before.

"No. He isn't an anomaly or a time warp. I can't think of that kind man as something that shouldn't be, or something I should fix. I hate Koizumi, but his explanation that Kyon is some type of reality-changing deity...makes more sense to me. Kyon is a god I could believe in. Could worship. I know he could have saved my first incarnation if he knew." Mikuru smiled and closed her eyes, leaning back on the grass, feeling the tired ache in her body from the recent regeneration ease a little.

"I'm not sleepy, but...you mind if I just lay down next to you? Please?" Tsuruya's voice was almost pathetic.

"You don't have to even ask, Tsuruya. How...how can you still care for me, when I'm not the me I was before?"

Tsuruya had lain down next to Mikuru. She laced her fingers with the time-traveler's. "I could never be confused about who you are. Even when I saw your regeneration, I knew who you were. Mikuru is Mikuru, no matter what she looks like. I would have recognized you, loved you, even if you came back as a man." She nuzzled Mikuru's soft, cherry hair a bit and closed her eyes. She rarely slept at night, but she tried her best.

Kyon woke up, body aching from a night of sleeping on hard ground rather than his soft bed. It took awhile before his mind started to translate last night's events into today. The sun, oddly, was not up. He had his watch and it told him the sun should have been up hours ago.

He even knew quite a bit of time had passed, as Haruhi's wounds had almost completely healed. She was, however, still locked in the healing stasis that Mikuru had put her in. Kyon let himself smile a real smile, looking at her seeming so peaceful.

He stood up, feeling his knees crack as he did so. It looked the same as last night, only now that he was in a better state of mind, he could take in his surroundings. From the looks of it, they were in a forest clearing a long way outside Tokyo. The cherry blossoms on the nearby trees were moving as if pushed by a gentle breeze. Kyon felt no air. Nothing moved right now.

He saw lights in the distance. It looked like a massive city. Yes, Tokyo. It had to be. They certainly hadn't got far. If it was true HE did this, he wasn't a very good distance teleporter or whatever. He groaned and sat back down next to Haruhi. He pulled a bag of water out of his pack. To his shock, it was cold as ice and amazingly refreshing. He managed to drink the entire thing, his stomach aching afterward from all the icy liquid.

He put the lid on the bottle and put it back in his pack. He rummaged around for anything else that might be useful. He came up with a few notebooks (useless), an apple (not THAT useful, but at least it was food), a crushed bag of cheese crackers (food again, but junk), a bottle of off brand Aleve (probably very useful), and a clean T-shirt. Ah. That was what he was looking for! Kyon quickly removed his blood stained shirt and blazer and pulled on the thin T-shirt.

At least he was finally feeling refreshed. He wasn't hungry yet since he'd had a big lunch (he had eaten Haruhi's as well as his own), so the apple and smashed crackers could wait. Haruhi was in stasis, so she wasn't getting any thirstier or hungrier than she had been. Mikuru could likely get food and water on her own, and Tsuruya didn't eat or drink normal food. Kyon shivered a little, wondering who she would...eat?...from. Vampires. Creepy as hell.

Dammit! Kyon's head hurt. He pulled out an off brand Aleve and swallowed it dry. Mikuru and Tsuruya were still fast asleep, or...at least Mikuru was. He noticed that Tsuruya was shifting and nuzzling Mikuru a bit too much to be asleep.

"Tsuruya...if you have super hearing too, get up and come here. Don't want to wake Asahina." His voice was barely above a whisper, but he remembered from the myths that most vampires had some sort of super hearing.

As expected, Tsuruya lifted her head, her eyes giving off eye shine like an animal's in the light of the very close moon. She stood softly and padded her way over to Kyon. Of course she could likely see perfectly in the dark. The rest of the group wouldn't be so lucky, unless Mikuru knew spells like that evil bitch Nagato had.

"Kyon...you look better. I'm glad. Last night, you looked almost as bad as she did." Tsuruya nodded at Haruhi. "Thought you might pass out. At least until Mikuru told me-ah, she said she would tell you."

Kyon scowled. "Tell me what? I'm tired, aching, and miserable, Tsuruya! I don't have the patience for riddles."

"Kyon, please...give Miku-chan a chance. She saved Haruhi! She saved the world! She says that if Haruhi died, the world would be destroyed completely or rewritten. I honestly don't know if that hasn't happened right now...I have no idea where or when we are. The stars and moon are way too close to Earth for that to be natural..." Tsuruya's voice faded. She had a solemn look on her face.

"I don't know what the hell this place is, either. Maybe Haruhi unconsciously used her powers to punt us to some alternate universe or some alien world. Or maybe things have been rewritten and this isn't our world anymore. We're just the only ones who remember the old world. Guess you're right. Asahina knows more than you, I'm sure." He didn't mean to imply Tsuruya was stupid, but the words just came out.

The vampire girl just sighed and walked back to Mikuru, softly shaking her awake. Mikuru muttered something inaudible to Tsuruya and stood up herself, nearly tripping. Apparently she was still exhausted. Tsuruya, however, allowed her to lean on her shoulder and Mikuru simply closed her eyes and rested her head on the vampire girl's shoulder, allowing her unnatural strength to pull her gently forward.

Once she reached Kyon, she slid to the ground, leaning back on Tsuruya, almost using her as a pillow.

"I'm so sorry, Kyon...I was just so tired. You have no idea what regeneration does to a time-traveler's body. It's almost like knowing you CAN walk, but somehow, no matter how hard you try, it just doesn't work." She smiled softly at Kyon. She was so cute, using that baby-learning-to-walk example. Tsuruya couldn't help but giggle a little.

"Alright, I'm sorry, Mikuru. Or...is that still your name? Was it ever your real name?" Kyon raised an eyebrow at the time traveler. He hadn't thought to ask before, since the only answers he had gotten from the pre-regen Mikuru was 'it's classified!'

"Yes. My name is Mikuru Asahina. My brother...from the alternate time line...Fujiwara...everyone thought it was an alias, but it wasn't. He was Fujiwara Asahina. I almost miss him. He was sweet, timid little boy back then, not the 'sneering bastard' we know." She sounded wistful, sad.

"So, Tsuruya mentioned something only you could tell me? You wanna enlighten me or should I just wander around in the dark until I figure something out? You're gonna tell me I transported us here because I'm a Slider, right? The one being missing from Haruhi's group?"

He sounded irritated. He wanted NOTHING to do with supernatural powers at all, but...at least he had saved Haruhi's life. If he was a slider, he just wouldn't travel into alternate planes for no reason. He just wouldn't use his power.

Mikuru shook her head, her mussed cherry hair greasy and full of grass. "No, Kyon. HARUHI is a slider. That is why she is capable of all the closed space. It's her way of being in an alternate universe without really leaving this one. Every single person can actually produce closed space."

She continued. "Hers only contained those things because she didn't consciously know of her power or how to use it. She was confused. Her dreams sometimes took her to the alternate worlds she could travel to, but the only world she was truly happy in was the one she traveled to with you. Because you were with her. The only person who had ever loved her for being her."

"Hah! Then EVERYONE was wrong this whole time. There was NEVER a godlike being around, unless it really was Sasaki, even if she claimed she wasn't and didn't want the power...you all have been worrying for nothing." Kyon laughed until he was in hysterics. All this damn time. All this damn effort!

What had it been for, then? What was the point of it all? He had basically been wasting all his time trying to make sure a slider girl was kept happy for no reason at all. No. He had liked it, hadn't he? He had loved it. Loved her, no matter what the hell she was. She could have been a swamp monster and he would still have loved her, tried to keep her happy. It didn't matter what she was.

_Slider, huh, Haruhi? All this time, you've been one thing you've been looking for. _He ran his fingers through his beautiful slider's dark hair.

"So it was all for nothing. Itsuki and Yuki weren't even needed! They didn't have to be there. The first Mikuru died for no reason at all. Wasted lives. Wasted effort! Pointless! How do you explain the reasoning for all the GODDAMN SHIT we've gone through?" He was shaking with rage. It didn't matter about Haruhi, not really, but the others and their LIES had pissed him off.

"You LIED to me. Just for...what? YOUR entertainment? YOUR release from boredom? Did you like watching me try so hard to make her happy? Did you like how angry you sometimes made he feel toward her? I love her! No matter what she is. But in the end, it was all a joke for your amusement!" Kyon spun angrily on them, keeping his back to them.

"Kyon! Please, calm down! There IS a divine/immeasurably powerful being. It just isn't Haruhi or Sasaki!" Mikuru's copper/chocolate eyes were pleading. The same eyes of the first Mikuru. His Mikuru. His dear friend. Slowly, his anger faded, but his curiosity was piqued.

"Okay, okay. I just want some answers. Everyone came to me when they lied about Haruhi being a deity. So. That first. Why me?" Kyon crossed his arms and leaned back against a tree, glaring at the two women.

"It was important to keep you occupied with someone similar. You aren't a Slider, but you still have the power to move between universes." Mikuru explained.

"Oh, yeah? How come I never noticed ANY of this before? I never had dreams. I don't even think I had closed space. That smiling ass Koizumi would have told me. Hell, maybe he wouldn't have. He was a liar in every way." Kyon spat on the ground at Koizumi's memory.

Kyon continued. "So, this non-Haruhi/Saski deity saved us all from Itsuki and Nagato? Actually, I think the Data Overmind put Nagato out of commission for failure, but I'm not totally sure. That's why we needed to get as far away from school as possible. So what happened? Please no lies this time! I'm not in the mood for it!"

Mikuru sighed heavily. What would happen, when he found out? Nothing, or would it break him, make him rewrite the world or transfer his own powers? Tsuruya's hand squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

"It's you, Kyon. It always has been. Myself and the others, we had to keep you around, so we told you that Haruhi would destroy the world if you left her. It was always the other way around. Those godlike powers belong to you, exist within you. Haruhi was your...failsafe, that is the only way I can explain it. If anything happened to make you rewrite reality, she was supposed to be able to bring you back to this one, with her so far unknown Slider abilities."

Tears were streaming down Mikuru's face. "I am sorry. So sorry. I never wanted to keep it secret from you. Nagato and Koizumi told me I had to. I don't know if they were lying, when they said you would change the world if you knew. I just...I think they're wrong. You're such a nice guy."

Mikuru continued. "So now you know. Will you change reality? Destroy it? Rewrite time? I don't even care anymore." She fell to her hands and knees, her pleading gaze locking with Kyon's stunned expression.

Kyon's mouth twitched, along with his left eye. His shoulders started shaking. He was laughing! What the hell kind of weird joke was this? It sure was funny though. He certainly needed a good laugh, after what they'd been through.

He was in full blown hysterics now. "That...is...the most...hilarious thing I've ever heard, Mikuru! You don't have to try and cheer me up by claiming I have super powers. Oh, dear goddess Haruhi, that was funny. You even had the serious expression and the tearful confession to go with it. You're too funny, Mikuru!"

He snorted, continued laughing. Mikuru was almost hurt. _He was supposed to believe me. But...then...I really don't have any REAL proof, do I? I guess I can't blame him._

"It-it isn't a lie, Kyon. B-but if you don't believe me, there's no way I can prove it to you. If Nagato had been...sane...she might have known how. I-I guess for now, we should just wait until Haruhi wakes up and then go into the city, just to see...where we are. As for when...my watch says we're still in the present. I'm sorry you don't believe me. It is the truth, Kyon. I hope you believe me soon."

Mikuru slumped against Tsuruya. "Even if you don't believe me, I believe in you." She smiled faintly.

Kyon's head hurt again. "Can we possibly forget this for now? I would think I would know if I were a reality warping deity. Anyway, Mikuru, I have a few questions for you."

"Yes. The time for classified information is over. It changed when the world did. My TPDD lost it's time travel capabilities for now. Ask your questions, Kyon." Mikuru almost sounded relieved. Apparently, keeping everything from everyone was exhausting.

"Alright, then. How old are? Did your past self regenerate as well? How far in the future are you from? I know time travel gets invented within my lifetime." He actually glared at Mikuru.

She sighed. "This version of me is my past self and my adult self. When she died, I died. When the regeneration happened, only one version of me came back. To make things simpler, we merged. As for how old I am, it doesn't matter. All time travelers are effectively immortal in my current time period, but I'll answer it anyway. My true body was over four hundred years old before she was killed and I came back."

"I know there are holes...I don't think anyone who isn't a time traveler could truly understand...but I was born here, Kyon. In your lifetime. We even come to know each other, although that me is extremely young when she first meets you. Incapable of even going potty on her own." Mikuru giggled.

"So...you're basically saying that you're born within my lifetime. That kind of creeps me out. I feel almost like some kind of pervert now for all those times I checked out your...uhm...assets." Kyon laughed shortly.

"Well, now what? I refuse to move from this spot until Haruhi is completely well again." He crossed his arms, and glared at Mikuru stubbornly.

"No, I agree. I want to wait too. I want to...to see if morning ever comes. If the sun will ever shine again..." Asahina sounded depressed.

Tsuruya, however, laughed loudly. "I don't care if I never see the sun! It always hurts my eyes anyway! I can see just fine in this weird moonlight." She laughed again, in a very Tsuruya-like way.

"Okay, we're in agreement. When Haruhi recovers, and I explain things, we'll...check out that weird city."

"Midnight Tokyo...a city constantly in the dark...it frightens me, but I know I'll be okay, as long as you're with me." Mikuru smiled gently at the disbelieving deity.

Kyon rubbed his head. The city. He could see a bit more now, and...even feel things. Bad things. There were things in that city that weren't human. That city wasn't a place meant for humans. He sighed. Whatever was in there, they would face it, tomorrow or the next day.


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN:** Haruhi wakes up and finally finds out the truth behind everything, including Kyon. Since she was sedated due to her slider powers possibly activating, she is not traumatized by the event, just pissed. The dark city is basically a Tokyo version of England's Nightside (owned by Simon Green), called Eien no yoru, or Eternal Night. I own nothing, again. Lots o slightly mushy Haruhi/Kyon. Slight Mikuru/Tsuruya._

_**What We Need – Chapter 3**_

_Dizzy...pain..., no, just memories of pain, vague...where am I? _Haruhi moaned and tried to open her eyes. They felt as if they'd been glued together for years. One the third try, she finally managed it. She almost gasped. Stars, closer than she'd ever seen them without using a telescope.

A massive moon, with tiny tinges of red...far too close to Earth to be natural. What was she? What was this? Her entire body felt...weird. Almost artificially painless and perfect. There was a hollow feeling in her stomach, but she didn't feel hungry. She didn't try to stand up. She just tried to remember what had happened.

_Haruhi's eyes opened, taking in the sight of Nagato standing over her with a blank expression on her face, and Koizumi holding a bloody knife, a smile plastered all over his face. There was another man leaning over her as well. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place him. _

_She opened her mouth in confusion. "Yuki? Itsuki? Uhm...strange guy? What's going on here? Why are you covered in blood, Koizumi?Why am I...why can't I move!? What is this bullshit? Let me go right now! I demand it as your Brigade leader!"_

_Itsuki turned his bloody grin on her. "Now, now, dear Miss Suzumiya...you're currently still under Miss Nagato's medications...you don't want us to take that away, do you? If you do, well...let us just say you'll scream more than Mikuru did when we harvested the time traveler's regeneration data."_

"_What the hell are you talking about? Time travel? Are you nuts? Also, Mikuru transferred! Let. Me. GO!" She screamed, tugged at the invisible chains keeping her from moving._

"_Well, I tried to keep you calm. Miss Nagato, if you don't mind? We don't want her leaving us for a different world just when things are getting fun!" Itsuki said this all cheerfully, despite being soaked with blood._

"_I do not mind. Step aside, Fujiwara. I must be in close proximity." Huh? Fujiwara? What the hell was going on here? Where was Kyon? Tears welled in her eyes. Oh, lord, what if they had killed him? What if he was DEAD? _

_She felt a sharp pinch in her thigh as Nagato slid the needle and the sedation medication in. _

_She saw Fujiwara's twisted sneer as she fell into unconsciousness. "Sleep well, little slider, little goddess." Laughter echoed in her ears before everything vanished into darkness and nothingness._

Those...little pieces of shit! She had let them in her Brigade, and then they do this! White hot rage threatened to fill her to bursting until she remembered Kyon. She looked down. Her naked body was in perfect shape, even an old scar she'd had since childhood had vanished. What the...? She looked around, pulling the blanket tighter around her.

She almost fainted with relief. Kyon was here! He was lying next to her, snoring away, his head on his pack. She fell back on her pillow, almost shaking with sheer relief. Kyon was safe and alive. Just sleeping. Thank god. She looked around for clothes, spotted the maid outfit she'd had for Mikuru.

She didn't want to wear it, but she still felt a rush of love and gratitude toward Kyon for having thought about her dignity and having laid out SOMETHING to cover her. She sat up, pulled on the maid's outfit. Oddly, it fit perfectly, despite having been made for Mikuru.

The only thing that was too big was the chest area. She used the yellow ribbon she still had in her hair to tie the chest area so that it wouldn't fall down. Haruhi glanced at herself. She didn't have a mirror, but reckoned she looked gorgeous, probably better than Mikuru. She giggled.

Kyon snorted, coughed. "Huh? Wha? What was tha-HARUHI! You're awake. I was so scared!" He pulled her tightly into his embrace. "How do you feel? Do you remember anything? No, nevermind. You don't have to relive that."

He held her for a long while, just enjoying the feeling of her soft, warm, very alive body against his. Her breathing almost seemed to sync with his heartbeat. _Haruhi...you're okay. Nothing else matters right now. _

It was the day after they'd decided to go into the city once Haruhi was okay. Next, the hard part. Explaining everything to her. Kyon wondered if he could get Asahina to hold off on that for awhile until Haruhi was totally back in commission.

He felt Haruhi nuzzle him slightly. She looked up at him with her gorgeous dark eyes. "Kyon? What happened? I always said I wanted weird stuff to happen, but...I didn't want anything like THIS to happen. Is it my fault? Did...did I make this happen?"

"I...when...that is, that guy Fujiwara called me goddess, and a slider. Tell me, Kyon! Did I make this happen? Did I somehow make Yuki and Koizumi into killers? Am I this goddess?" She had tears in her eyes, and pain.

"Kyon, please. The truth. I always kind of known about the weird stuff that happened, but it was all explainable. I thought it was neat, but I never wanted to cause it. I never wanted any type of supernatural power, not really. I just wanted to know someone who wasn't normal. I guess that's kind of funny, since the guy I end up falling in love is totally normal. No, you aren't normal, not really. You're perfect, wonderful...I never wanted you to get hurt." She sobbed into Kyon's fresh T-shirt, shaking.

He gripped her shoulders tightly, comforting her. "Nothing was your fault. Once Asahina wakes up, she and Tsuruya will explain everything. I'll mess it up if I try, I'm sure. After all, I'm a dork, right?" His lips twitched as he used one Haruhi's favorite insults.

Kyon felt it as she shook her head violently and she gripped his back even harder. Kyon ran his hands through her silken, chocolate hair.

"You're not a dork, Kyon! Don't insult yourself. I won't allow it!" She glared up at him with her familiar fierce Haruhi expression. "I never...never meant it, you know that!"

"Haruhi." He tilted her head up and kissed her softly. "I don't care if you did mean it. It's true. I am a dork. Compared to you, anyway. You're smart, beautiful, good at everything...I can't even finish my damn classwork in time!" He chuckled. She looked up at him with a smile that made it seem like the sun shone only for him, in this world of eternal darkness.

"Wait. Kyon. You said Mikuru and Tsuruya are here too? So she's okay! I was so worried, after hearing what those evil freaks who DARED to knock me out said!" To Kyon's surprise, Haruhi's voice contained genuine happiness at the thought of Mikuru and her best friend. Tsuruya had never liked Haruhi due to her treatment of Mikuru, after all.

"She's fine, Haruhi. We all are. Well, maybe not Nagato...but I don't care at this point. I'd like to punch that Koizumi in the face, though. With a knife. Fifty times." Kyon's voice was savage, worse than Haruhi had ever heard. She moved to where she was almost sitting in his lap and leaned against his chest. She looked up into his unique, copper-colored, gold-flecked eyes.

"I wonder what made them do it...You said Mikuru could explain everything. If she's the Mikuru I know, I doubt it, but...you know, I just don't know anymore." She sighed. "Hey, Kyon. Do you know when I fell in love with you?"

Kyon blinked, startled. He hadn't expected that question. "I don't, but it doesn't matter now. I don't care if you fell in love with me a week ago."

She shook her head. "It was when you asked me about my hair." She flushed, looked away.

"Huh? I can't remember ever asking about your hair. It's been the same since-" Kyon's eyes widened. "Wait, do you mean that first week of school? When you told me about the days of the week and colors?"

"What did you think? You honestly think it would take me more than a few a days to fall in love with you? Someone as wonderful as you..." She smiled. "Say, when did you fall in love with me? I won't be mad if you say something like 'two weeks ago' or something, I promise."

"When you asked for aliens, time travelers, sliders, and Espers." Kyon smiled at her.

She stared up at him in shock. "You're saying it was love at first sight? That is so cliché, even for you, Kyon! I can't believe anyone could love me for being me, even now. I was such an awful person. I was so mean to you."

"Haruhi. Don't worry about it. If you don't believe the cliched love at first sight, then I'll say this. I fell more in love with you than ever when I heard you sing at the art's festival. You were so bright, so different than usual. I felt like your songs were just for me." Kyon pounded his chest. "They hit me right here, Haruhi, even if they weren't written by you. When you sang them, it felt like you were singing just to me. Sorry if that's some of that mushy crap you don't want in a relationship."

She was still blushing hotly. "It isn't mushy, coming from you. I believe you. I always believed you. Trusted you. To the bitter end. When I was singing, I remember seeing you in the audience. You gave me hope. Made me want to do my absolute best. When you were staring at me with those gorgeous copper eyes in astonishment, I felt like I had accomplished something real, something amazing. If it weren't for you, I don't think I could have stood yet another year of school. No friends, no one to talk to, nothing."

Haruhi sounded on the verge of tears. "I had always tried not to care about that stuff, but looking for strange phenomena isn't something people befriend you over. Guys asked me out because of my supposed great body, but they were all idiots. I never wanted a relationship, until I heard that bored, snide voice asking about my hair. When I looked at you, my gray world was suddenly full of brilliant rainbows. Now I'm sounding mushy. Eeugh!" She made a disparaging noise but did not move from Kyon's lap. She only snuggled closer.

A soft, perky-sounding female voice interrupted them. "Oh! You're both finally awake! I was worried. I thought she might have been reactivated and found you!"

Kyon looked around in horror, as he recognized the voice. "YOU! Why are you worried about whether I live or die? You tried to kill me! And your crazy primary interface tried to kill my Haruhi, and DID kill Mikuru! If you don't leave, I'll call Tsuruya over here and see if she likes the taste of interface blood!"

Ryoko Asakura smiled. It was a genuine smile, not the mad grin she'd had when she'd tried to kill Kyon. "Miss Mikuru Asahina asked me to come here. She used her TPDD and some technology from the future to revive me and make sure I was cut off from the Data Overmind so it couldn't influence my behavior anymore." She looked away, almost sadly.

"I never meant to kill you that day. I meant to kill Nagato. She was my primary, but I thought I was stronger. I overestimated...as I said that day, I really was just a backup. Threatening you would surely provoke Nagato. She was a slave to the Data Overmind. Well, not a slave, because slaves don't enjoy what they're doing, in most cases. Nagato, if she ever felt any emotion, loved what she did for the Data Overmind. I wanted it to stop. If you refuse to believe me, ask Miss Mikuru. She'll tell you it's true."

Asakura's eyes locked with Kyon's for a long moment. For some reason, he felt that she COULD be trusted...that she was telling the truth. She had always been trying to save him, save him from the Data Overmind and Nagato, he'd just always thought it was a 'deadly threat'. Kyon nodded, very slightly.

"Hey! What's going on here? What the hell are you all talking about? I'm so totally lost!" This from Haruhi, who had been oddly silent during Asakura's 'confession'.

"Miss Suzumiya! We meet again. I never got to know you very well, before Nagato erased me the first time, but now we have a second chance!" Ryoko held out a hand to Haruhi. Haruhi glared at her and slapped the hand away.

"You said you threatened to kill Kyon. I don't care if it was for a good reason. I'll never try and be friends with anyone who even threatens to harm him." She made 'hmph' noise and buried her head in Kyon's shirt.

"Asakura...can you...I mean, are you still an interface? Do you still have all your powers?" Kyon was honestly very hopeful she did. She would be a powerful ally.

"I'm so sorry, Kyon. I don't have all of my powers, just some. I'm cut off completely from the Data Overmind, for which I'm eternally grateful to Miss Asahina, therefore my powers are limited." Asakura looked at the moonlit grass, an expression of true sadness on her face. "I do have emotions. We all do. All the interfaces. Except maybe Nagato." Asakura sighed. "You probably still don't trust me, so I'll go sit by Miss Tsuruya until Mikuru awakens and explains everything."

"Explain? Well someone had better!" Haruhi growled.

Kyon ruffled her hair, making her sneeze. "You did that on purpose!" She smacked Kyon lightly on the arm.

Asakura giggled a little before leaving and going to sit next to Tsuruya on the opposing side of the clearing. Tsuruya seemed to be gazing into the dark, threatening forest surrounding them. The two soon engaged in conversation.

He glanced over at the sleeping Mikuru. Well, the waking-up Mikuru. She was still very pretty, maybe moreso, after regeneration. She sat up, stretched, looked around, seemed confused for a few moments before getting her bearings and finally rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and tossing water from the red-tinged river that flowed through her edge of the clearing on her face. She almost seemed to gasp in relief as she washed her hands and face.

He felt a hard tug. He glanced down. Haruhi was glaring at him. "Huh? What's up?"

"You're staring at that other girl. The tall, red-haired one. Why? Is it because she's prettier than me? Who is she, anyway?" Haruhi sounded confused and almost hurt.

"That's Mikuru. She's a time traveler. Remember how I told you that before? You even made a movie out of it. That's her adult self. Sort of. She can explain much better than me. I'm a dork, remember?" He just sighed.

"For some reason, I believe you this time. Maybe it's because I trust you even more now. Time travel, huh? That's interesting...and that Asakura, and Nagato...alien interfaces?" Her face lit up. "That is so amazingly cool! Say, do you think I really could be a slider? And what are you, Kyon? An Esper?" She was staring at him in amazement.

Kyon almost smiled. This was the Haruhi he knew. Still eager for the odd. "Well, pretty much all of that is right, except for the part about me being anything special at all. I'm just a normal guy. Mikuru keeps telling me I'm not, but trust me, she doesn't know what she's talking about. I would know if I had special powers."

"You still don't believe me, Kyon?" It was Mikuru at last, accompanied by Tsuruya, who was latched onto the red-head's arm, and Asakura, who was fingering a very sharp knife and looked sad.

"Miss Asahina, thank god. I think I was getting more confused by the minute! Sit down and explain, again, to Haruhi. And to me, since I forgot half of what you said yesterday." Kyon rolled his eyes.

The three girls sat down, almost in a ring around Haruhi and Kyon. "Well, it's like this, pretty much. Suzumiya, I am Mikuru Asahina. The me that you know was brutally slaughtered by Itsuki and Yuki. Time travelers like myself, yes, I am-"

"Miss Asahina, I already told her that part. She believes me. Just explain the regeneration bullshit." Kyon hurried her on.

"...Alright. After the murder, the forgot to destroy my TPDD. Itsuki had cut it out of me, since it is a part of me most of the time, and just tossed it out the clubroom window. I was in a haze of pain and fear for hours before finally waking up. I knew what had happened, even though I had never regenerated before. I was shaky, could barely walk. Tsuruya found me and helped me into an empty classroom. A lot happened that would be a waste of time to explain, but in the end, we are here."

Mikuru looked around. "Here, in this eternal night. Eien no yoru..." She shuddered. "We're here because a being with supernatural powers beyond comprehension brought us here, saved us from death, or being hunted down like animals by the angry Data Overmind. Asakura is the only one I brought here myself. I knew her help would be needed. This version of me is a lot more powerful than the high school me." She smiled at Haruhi, who was just staring open mouthed.

"Haruhi, don't believe whatever bullshit she spouts about the 'being with powers beyond comprehension'. That is total bullshit. I am almost one hundred percent sure that the rest of it is true, however." Kyon had closed Haruhi's open mouth and was stroking her cheek as he said this.

Mikuru just sighed again. "Kyon, I wish I could somehow prove it to you. Perhaps you'll find out when we head into the city. As for you, Miss Suzumiya, you are indeed a slider. I think that was why Nagato and Koizumi were interested in you, to figure out how you do it. You have traveled to different worlds, but you kept thinking you were dreaming, or you just plain forgot."

Haruhi's eyes were blazing with excitement. "Wow. I remember some weird stuff, some places I'd never seen before, now that I think about it. I never knew I was traveling to some different worlds. I just thought I was dreaming. A slider, huh? That is just SO totally awesome! How do I use my powers? Can you tell me that?" She sounded eager.

Kyon pinched her cheek slightly. "Haruhi. I don't think it's safe to be experimenting with unknown powers right at this moment. Nagato's boss might detect it."

She stared up at Kyon in shock. He was telling her not to use her amazing gift? But...it did make sense. She didn't dare do anything that might threaten Kyon. "Okay...for now." She pinched Kyon's leg. "So...what about Kyon? Does he have any weird powers? It doesn't matter if he's as powerless as a water flea, but I'm just curious, is all."

"Oh, here goes..." Kyon sounded beyond exasperated.

Mikuru grinned, almost mischievously. "Kyon has the best power of all. He's the one who saved us all, brought us here. To put it simply, he's a god. Or rather, has deity-like powers. Of course, being the skeptic that he is, he refuses to believe me." She sounded resigned now.

Haruhi's blazing eyes were shining even brighter, and wider. "Kyon! A god! I should have guessed! I knew he was perfect, special, from the day he asked me about my hair. He was the only one who noticed it. Kyon! You don't believe her? I do!"

"Haruhi, think about it. Gods usually know they're gods, right? I've been boring and totally normal my whole life. Besides...if I did believe one of us was a god, hell, even Asakura is a better choice than me for divine powers. I'm basically a useless dork with a ponytail fetish." Kyon sighed.

Haruhi, however, had tears in her eyes. "Stop it, Kyon. Stop it. I told you to never insult yourself like that again. It's okay if you don't believe it, but...I believe in you." She was, oddly enough, echoing Mikuru from a day earlier. "I love you. It doesn't matter if you're a deity or a normal guy, but I truly believe you're in you. In god-Kyon and normal-Kyon. No matter who or what you are, I believe in you." She hugged him tightly.

Kyon relaxed and returned her hug. It didn't matter to her if he had powers or not, it seemed. If he WERE a god, she wouldn't care. It wouldn't make a damned difference. She was so wonderful...perfect. HIS goddess.

"So, what now? We all pretty much got caught up on everything. Do take the plunge? Check out that city now?" Kyon was mostly just wanting everyone to stop thinking he was a god, but he didn't dare yell at them, not right now. If believing he was a god made them feel better, then he wasn't going to keep arguing. He certainly didn't believe it, but if his friends, and his beloved, wanted to, fine.

"It is not that far away. We can likely make it in an hour or so. I will attempt to put a data shield over us as we cross the empty land between the forest and the city. I have detected beings of unknown origin outside the forest and inside the city, so it would be best if we protect ourselves as much as we can until we know if the beings are hostile or benevolent." Asakura made a speech that really didn't make much sense to Kyon.

She turned to him. "It would be really good if you could use your massive amount of data control abilities to transport us directly there." Asakura was still smiling at them all. Her smile was real, however, not the twisted farce normally seen on Koizumi and Fujiwara.

"Shut up, Asakura. I REALLY don't feel like arguing about this today. Come on. Just put your data shield over us and let's walk." He sounded angry.

"Well, if you don't feel like helping, maybe Miss Suzumiya could use her powers to transport from one place to another to take us outside the city walls. I could help her access them. I cannot help you, due to the massive amount of data your contain. If I connect with you in any way, I will likely disintegrate." Asakura's warm smile almost made him sorry for the times he'd been hostile toward her.

As much as he did NOT want to have to walk through that between-space, he didn't want Haruhi to be hurt either. "Will it hurt Haruhi?"

"Not at all! It will help her, if anything. She will finally be in control of the powers she's had her entire life. Perhaps some of the melancholy she'd been experiencing was due to lack of control of her data transportation abilities. Take my hand, Miss Suzumiya. I will give you coordinates to the city gates." Ryoko held out her slim, pale hand.

Haruhi looked at Kyon questioningly. "Should I, Kyon? Do you trust her?"

"I honestly don't know yet, but if I am a god, she should know damn well not to hurt you, so since she actually believes this crap, yes, I trust her not to hurt you, at least."

Kyon glared at Asakura. "I know you say you've changed. I do believe you, but it's hard, since I honestly thought you tried to kill me. I'm telling you now, if this DOES hurt Haruhi and I AM a god, I'll make damn sure you suffer a fate worse than having your data destroyed."

Asakura nodded and took Haruhi's hand. Asakura's entire body lit up, data codes that Kyon had no hope of reading streamed within and around her, normally dark blue eyes now filled with lines of black and white code. A silvery-blue flash and Asakura was back to normal, now smiling more broadly than ever.

"Miss Suzumiya? You have the coordinates. Now, please, listen to me. I myself am no slider, nor can I appear or disappear at will like you will eventually be able to do, but I know about the ability very well. Before the Data Overmind cut me off, there were billions of petabytes of data, maybe more, on sliders alone, not counting the data we had on the other beings. The only data we do NOT have is that which is in Kyon's body, his power. I will teach you, Miss Suzumiya."

Haruhi looked at Kyon in shock. "I-I can feel it, Kyon. Worlds...beyond imagining. I can feel them, and it feels like if I wanted I could reach out and be there. It's amazing! Okay, Miss Asakura! Show me how I can do this!"

Haruhi's bright smile lit up the darkness. Kyon watched as Asakura transmitted data to Haruhi. Asakura's warm smile as she did so made Kyon's trust in her rise just a bit more. Maybe things would be alright. Maybe these people were telling the whole truth...but then...that would mean it was true that he was a god. _Wouldn't I have known? Felt something? Anything? Maybe you wouldn't have. You are a dork after all. Besides, when you thought Haruhi was a god, you were told she didn't know. She's a slider and didn't know. It is entirely possible. So stop being a dork and accept it! _

Kyon smacked his head. He HATED arguing with himself. A god. Unlimited powers. If this were true, Kyon definitely wanted to learn how to use them. Asakura claimed she couldn't touch him due to data overload, and Mikuru could no longer travel in time to show him...whatever. Tsuruya and Haruhi could do absolutely nothing to help him gain access to his powers, if he really did have them.

Kyon glanced at Eien no yoru, that dark, frightening city. Maybe there was something inside that could prove it. Someone that could truly explain and show him. Dammit! They just kept putting off entering the city! He knew it was awful when even Asakura, who was an effectively immortal data entity, slowed their entrance with technobabble and wanting to teach Haruhi about being a slider.

Worse, Mikuru was terrified out of her wits. She didn't know Kyon could tell, but he was excellent at reading body language and facial expressions. Or maybe that was part of being a god. Being extra good at seeing what people were feeling with little to no effort.

The annoyed god slammed his pack into a nearby tree in frustration. Damn it all to hell! He honestly just wanted things back to normal. Well, as long as Haruhi stayed like this Haruhi.

**R/R, please. I love reviews. ^^**


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